


And Frank Makes Five

by Ifeelwitchcraftuponme



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Defenders if Matt wasnt a coward, Domestic Defenders, Domestic Fluff, Elektra spelt wrong, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fix-It of Sorts, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Suck at Romance, M/M, Tags Are Hard, The Defenders (Marvel TV) Spoilers, Trauma, a little violent, currently at friends, frank castle needs hug, give Colleen love, give frank friends, good spelling not guaranteed, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ifeelwitchcraftuponme/pseuds/Ifeelwitchcraftuponme
Summary: Defenders except Matt isn't a coward and invites Frank to help fight the hand, they do surprisingly well, no one dies and they all have pizza. Fluff for the soul,
Relationships: Danny Rand & Colleen Wing, Frank Castle & Jessica Jones, Frank Castle & Karen Page, Frank Castle & Matt Murdock, Frank Castle/Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones & Colleen Wing, Luke Cage & Frank Castle & Matt Murdock & Danny Rand, Luke Cage & Matt Murdock, Luke Cage/Danny Rand
Comments: 20
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A horrible terrible defenders fanfiction from a horrible terrible writer.  
> mostly just writing this for the soul, Frank is one of my favorite characters, and Defenders could have been so much funnier with him.

“What is this?” Karen whispers, and for once the words escape Matt, he wasn’t sure what he expected from her, anger? Surprise? Probably not delight, but not this. Her words just fell flat, barely any traces of emotion for his ears to pick up on, her heart had skipped a beat, and yet now was slow, mirrored by the pounding of the blood in his ears.

“It’s me Karen.” Matt didn’t realize his hands were shaking, until he lifted the helmet up to her, “it always has been me.”

“I-I, I don’t know what to say Matt.”  
“You don’t have to say anything.”

Karen placed her hands over his own, she was shaking too. Her hands were cold, or maybe his were hot, with all the nerves and adrenaline it was hard to tell.

In a way Matt hated it, to know what she was feeling, yet to never really know. 

Karen fell back onto his couch, sighing heavily. Matt placed the helmet down carefully and sat down opposite her.  
Without the helmet he didn’t know what to do with his hands. 

Matt was a little confused and he couldn’t deny it, he was never this nervous, never in court or facing down any criminal however big.  
Yet before Karen Page he felt powerless.

“Well then,” Karen said, her voice unsteady, “I think I need a drink.”

A five minutes later, there were two empty bottles of beer joining the Daredevil helmet on the table. After her initial shock Karen was certain that she had always known the truth.  
But from the tremble in her voice and her rapid breathing, they both knew she was lying.

“I mean, Foggy said you had joined a fight club- i was so concerned i thought you were in a bad relationship or something,”  
“In a way he was kind of right.” Matt chuckled nervously.  
“Matt I was so worried- Wait did he know about this?” She said pointedly, Matt guessed she was punctuating this by pointing at the helmet.  
He said nothing.

“He did?” Matt tried to look away, but it’s hard where you don’t really have anything else to look at. “Am I the last person to know Matthew?”

“No- I swear, only you and Foggy- and a nurse- and I guess my priest, but no one else.”  
“Huh, well then-” Karen said,  
Matt held his breath waiting for her to continue in some way.

“What about Frank?”  
That wasn’t what he expected her to say, Matt paused, he thought hard, did Frank Castle know?  
“What about Frank?” He asked carefully,  
“Did you- You did fight him didn't you? I mean did you know, did he know? ”

Matt rubbed at the back of his head, one of his scars suddenly mysteriously itchy.  
“He told me about his family, but I don’t think he ever knew.”  
“But you were so against him, you are both vigilantes-”  
“Were, Karen, he’s dead.”  
There was a pause, if he had to guess Matt suspected she was shooting him a scathing look.

“He’s not dead Matt.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Most definitely.”

Shit, was the thought that was mostly filling Matthew Murdock’s head. He didn’t want to lie to Karen, but he knew the sooner Frank could disappear and the fewer people who knew about it the better. It was safer for him, for both of them.

Which was almost a shame, for the few moments that they were on the same side everything felt easier, Frank was an excellent man to fight beside, if you ignored the night he had been chained to a rooftop with Frank terrorizing him, and all the punches in between. Matthew was almost going to miss him.

Karen seems to recognize his indecision, and honestly Matt wasn’t surprised, she had always been the most emotionally intelligent.  
Which now he thought about it, between him and Foggy that wasn’t hard.

“Fine, I knew about him.”  
“What happened to no more lies?”  
“I’m sorry Karen, i just-“  
“It’s fine, Matthew I understand. Frank wanted to disappear, I just didn’t know what you thought.”

A beat,  
“He saved my life, the last time I saw him,”  
“He saved mine too, he was a good guy.” She sighed,  
“I don’t know if I would go that far,” Matt shot back with a crooked smile.  
Karen spluttered through a swig of beer, and gently set her beer down with a crash that rang through Matt’s ears.

Matt could almost picture her smile, he had never seen it but he knew it must be beautiful.

“Do you have your phone?” Karen said,  
“Yes, why?” Matt could heat the humor evaporating from her voice.  
“I think you’ll need this more than I do.”  
Matt said nothing as she typed a phone number into his contacts. She paused for a second as if considering what to write, then placed the phone down on the table.  
This time Matt didn’t have to pretend he didn’t hear when she put it, down to the millimetres, 

“Frank!” The phone exclaimed in its robotic voice.  
“In case you ever need help,” Karen murmured, taking his hand in hers. “Though I hope you never have to.”  
“Me neither,” Matt said, taking her hand, “me neither.”  
~~

It was only almost a month later Matt even first dared to consider calling. Something had happened to New York, even beyond the earthquake, Matt could feel it in his bones, there was something dark seeping into the streets. And no one else seemed to notice it. Foggy was trying his hardest after all but he didn't know what it was like. There were things only he could do, what would happen if he didn't?

Frank was the only person Matt could think of, that could even imagine that feeling. It was a strange feeling that settled in his chest, alone in his apartment Matt couldn't tell what it was, a longing for acknowledgement, of shared experience. It was a horrible lonely feeling and it seemed to get heavier with every breath.

There was something dark happening here in New York. Matt tossed Foggy’s files down onto the table, but the noise they made as they hit the floor was just another reminder of how fast everything was changing. The tremor had shook Matt's only safe place apart.  
That with the strange occurrences with teens going missing in Harlem, the records that Matt had heard about other vigilantes and shadowy organisations was just proof that without Daredevil it felt like New York was falling apart.

As positive as Karen was, it felt like the city needed him.

And now just as Matt was getting home after meeting Foggy for drinks that Foggy totally wasn't using as a cover to check up on him, Mathew’s phone was buzzing again, calling out for Foggy,  
He needed a favour, a case he ‘wanted to take but really couldn't, sorry. can you take it for me?’ deal, Matt wasn't about to say no, he owed his and Foggy’s long and sordid history that much.  
It just all felt too tiring, Matt needed a break, he wanted one, his heart and mind and conscious pulled out in a million different directions.

He didn't even think Frank would pick up, realistically there wasn't even time. But Matt just needed someone to talk to.  
But he had Jessica Jones waiting for him.  
Matt put the phone down.


	2. Chapter 2

Jessica Jones didn’t hesitate to walk straight out of the restaurant, and Matt’s heart went with her, something deep down inside wished that for one second when Stick had first started spouting the spiritual-cult-crap, that he had the sheer power to just walk out.

Luke followed her out like a stressed shadow. His concern and lingering care for her clear. He may have been bullet proof but even a blind man could read him.

Something had definitely happened with them, but Matt did know enough about them beyond the occasional news mention to make any kind of judgement. It wasn’t like he was a relationship expert.

This left just him and Danny alone with the man who had single-handedly ruined Matthew’s life.

Danny was in awe, that much was clear. The billionaire, magic handed boy has perked up since Stick had recognised his titles.

From the way he had inhaled sharply and puffed himself up with pride made it clear that he was delighted to finally be noticed.

Unfortunately Stick was someone you never wanted to notice you.

It would end up with you dead, or worse losing everything you care about.

Matt knew that first hand.

Electra -wow those feelings were complicated- may have tried to use him, but so had Stick, they had almost caused him to lose himself.

Matt’s hand brushes over where he knows his phone is hidden away inside his pocket, he never got the chance to tuck it away somewhere safe before everything had exploded at Midland Circle. 

It was as silenced and as hidden as possible but he was still worried that Stick would notice, he had already smashed one today, and Matt really didn’t wasn’t to be the next victim.

It was far too important to lose his contacts, 

the only copy of Frank’s number, Matt thought, shit he had never recorded it anywhere else, he had been too worried that someone else would find it. 

Ever since people had started breaking into his apartment, he had gotten more paranoid, one day would he wake up to find his life in ashes around him? would someone take it upon themselves to force him to play their role?

He didn’t want to be anyone’s weapon, not Electra’s partner in cold blood, or Stick’s newest cult recruit.

Neither of them had ever seemed to grasp the concept of a simple no.

And here he was again, with someone else being dragged into Stick’s mess. Whoever the immortal-whatever, Danny was, when it came to Stick’s bull, he was an easy target.

Matt’s hand brushed over his pocket again unconsciously, the fabric rough under his fingers, it felt like his collar was ever tightening to strangle him. 

He thought back to the scarf, it had smelt of all sorts of things like whiskey and coffee and the exact brand of fabric softener someone had once used on it, though he was sure it hadn’t been Jessica.

His heart had been in his throat ever since he heard those gunshots- no before them, since Jessica had seen him, all of his instincts told him to be extra careful, to listen but he had been so tired and angry he’d just gone, running around where anyone could have seen him.

And they had and Jessica took pictures. They wouldn’t hold up in court but he had been kicking himself ever since. When he had kicked one of the well dressed goons in the penthouse he had pictured his own stupid mistakes where he guessed the man’s face was.

But those gunshots, however silenced and far away he had heard them. He had been listening out for those gunshots, those careful patterns, hoping that one of the nights he would have heard someone’s voice accompanying them.

“One Bach,”

But he hadn’t, maybe Frank really was gone, maybe both he and Karen had seen what they wanted to see, afterall to the rest of the world Frank Castle was dead.

But he had thought Electra was dead, yet there was no mistaking her breathing, her heartbeat, the one Matthew had heard go silent. She was alive, and no matter what had happened since to turn her, or rebuild her whatever she was, she hadn’t killed him.

Maybe she was still in there, but he wasn’t so sure what to think about that.

“Two Bach,”

His ears still buzzed, despite his warnings the neon lights were still on, it was so loud in the background of his thoughts, to him it was stranger that they couldn’t hear it. He heard everything that Luke and Jessica had said about him. He could even hear them arguing outside the restaurant right this minute. He tried not to focus on it, letting them have their privacy as he tried to tune it out by listening to Danny and Stick.

They were talking about him, he had never wanted to be a piece in Stick’s holy war of nonsense, and somehow it was like that didn't matter, he never wanted to be trained into Stick’s replacement, becoming Daredevil had been his only way to take back control over his life.

“Well from what i've heard,” Danny stated warmly, all thought it was clear in his voice that he didn't really know what to say, “you've been doing a good job,” Matt smiled wanly back at him and waited for Stick to derail it into an insult.

He didn't even have to wait a minute, “Past tense, he retired.”

Matt wanted to scream, whatever he did, whatever decision he took, it would never be good enough for Stick, this had never been his fight, and he wasn't going to start backing down now.

“You know what, we are not talking about this, allright?” Matt said, quelling the urge to just walk out and not look back, after all Jessica Jones had just done it by the sound of it, he could hear Luke punching a dumpster in frustration.

“Suit yourself.” Stick said, sinking down into Jessica’s abandoned chair.

Maat couldn't see red, but he could feel it surging through him,everything he did and said made it clear how much Stick knew he was in control, Danny was already looking up to him, Luke saw the best in people, -Matt hadn't known him long but it was very obvious even to him- and Jessica the only rebellious realistic cog in the work had walked straight out.

It made him want to hit something, he didn’t want to lose himself to be Stick’s weapon again like Electra had, he had to do something.

So he did the only thing he had really wanted to do since even before he had entered Midland Circle.

“Nickel and Dime.”

“I'm done taking lessons Stick, but if I'm going to have to listen to you, I guess we’ll need all the help we can get, right?”

“Matty, do you have some useful friends you’ve not told me about?” Stick drawled a definite slease laced in his tone.

He continued ignoring the sheepish looking Luke who had just reappeared.

“Or does your silly, ignorant, lawyer friend have powers now?”

Matt again had to smother the urge to just walk straight out, he just wanted to wipe that superior look that he knew that Stick was wearing for certain, off his face.

“I think there’s someone I could call,” Matt said carefully, it was a desperation play, but as they said; desperate times and all that.

Two minutes later Matt was fumbling nervously with his contacts, his phone had read out the names several times in its tinny little voice.

Matt really didn’t want to do it, but all of new york was in danger, did he really have a choice? Any advantage was good, even if Matt didn’t trust Frank Castle as far as he could throw him.

“Frank.” his phone stated again, Matthew had come this far, what did he have to lose?

It starts ringing before he even realised he had clicked the call, Matt almost has the overwhelming urge to throw his phone away from him like it's a grenade, but he clung to it. He could hear Luke and Danny chatting inside as they finished off the food.

Was a shame that they didn't stand a chance, if the hand really was what Stick says it is, there's no way that the three of them could do anything, even with Stick.

“Who is this?”

A low gravelly voice comes from the phone. Matt had to smother every instinct that told him to yelp or drop it, he recognised that voice, and most of the memories tied to it weren’t good.

“Who is this?” Frank Castle repeats, Matthew realised he was supposed to have said something, yet in the moment, he had lost his tongue.

“Frank Castle?” he asked tentatively, he could hear the sharp inhalation of breath from the other end of the phone. 

Before Frank can hang up Matt spits out the first thing that comes into his head, “i'm friends with Karen.”

Matt holds his breath but the phone line doesn't go dead.

“How did you get my number? Is Karen alright? Who is this?” he repeats, Matt is almost touched by the concern in Frank’s voice, but coming from the man who shot him in the head, it's a little disconcerting.

“Frank, this is Karen’s friend,” he says carefully, “Karen’s fine- no she's great, but she gave me this number-”

Matt can hear how Frank inhales through his teeth, he could easily bet that the Punisher is seriously considering putting the phone down.

“The thing is Frank, the city is in danger, we need-”

“Let me stop you right there, ‘Karen's Friend.’ I'm no hero who will come at your call, so get off this call and lose my number.”

“I know that you're not a hero Frank, but we don't need a hero-”

“You've already got enough of them, now go aw-”

“Frank, it's me,” Matt doesn't know what else to say, after all this time it still feels blasphemous to say his secret out loud. 

“you saved my life Frank but we need you.”

There's a pause as Frank says nothing, Matt guesses, hoping that he's wracking his brain, trying to put the pieces together.

“Red?” he said incredulously

“Frank,” Matt confirms, holding his breath as he waits for a reply

“Oh god,” Frank whispers, “I knew you'd find me.” but his voice gets angrier, if he was face to face Matt would have been braced for impact. 

“what have you done to Karen?" he almost hisses across the phone.

“Seriously Frank, i haven't done anything to Karen.”

“How did you get her to give you my number? i told her it was for emergencies only.”

“She gave it to me as a friend Frank, and I wouldn't exactly be calling you in a non emergency.”

The fact that Frank Castle now knows that he knows Karen, to the extent that they are friends, makes Matt a little uncomfortable, but three random strangers now know his identity, what's another one? 

As much as Frank leans into his homicidal tendencies, he's much less likely to tell, at least that's what Matt hopes as Frank muttered his name through the phone receiver.

“Murdock? The blind one?”

“Yes.” Matt says through gritted teeth, he had hoped it would take longer than that.

“The blind lawyer?”

Honestly he doesn't know how to reply, as Frank begins to talk;

“This doesn’t explain why you've graced me with your call choir boy. Come hoping i'll repent for my actions? going to take me back to church in chains?” He asked mockingly 

“What? No-” Matt starts, but the words escape him, how does he explain this insanity without Frank doing a Jessica and walking out. “-Frank, the entire city of New york is in danger,”

“And?” 

Matt didn't know what he was expecting, but this wasn't it.

“Frank, innocent people are going to die, like your family-”

Its a low blow and Matt can hear Frank cursing him,

“And what am i going to do about it Red, the whole world thinks im dead, and i'd rather keep it that way, the police can handle this on their own thanks,” and he goes to hang up,

“Wait Frank, the police don't know about this, there's a chance they're involved too, this goes deep Frank,” Matt takes a deep breath, there's no going back, “ at this point i think only vigilantes can stop this.”

“So what me and you against what? The corrupt police? I'm good, thanks Red.”

“It's more like a secret evil organisation that wants us dead.”

“Us?”

“It's not just us anymore Frank, there are others-” he waits for a reaction, but it seems that the Punisher wants him to get on with it. “-but, in this situation i think we would need your skills.”

Matt doesn't want to think about the set of skills Frank has, but he's not wrong, Frank would be a crucial piece if he was on their side.

“Must be bad if you've come to me Red,” he says, rolling the syllable of Matt’s nickname carefully, if Mathew could see him, he could have put money on the shit-eating grin on Frank’s face.

“I guess neither of us would have it another way Frank.”

“I guess not Red,”

To Matt it’s almost comforting to talk to Frank like this, now they’re both on equal footing, knowing the almost same amount about each other. But something nags at his swirling thoughts. Matthew can hear the whine of the neon from the other side of the building, the buzz of his phone, the soft crackle of Frank’s breathing and distantly the squeal of tyres. 

Something is off, but he’s not sure what.

“Where are you Frank? Will you be able to help?” He asks with baited breath.

“Where are you exactly Red?” There’s the sound of Frank probably scrabbling for something to write on, Matt tells him everything and Frank says nothing, only writing down what he’s told.

Matt can hear that squeal of tyres again, very similar to the others but he ignores it.

Frank Castle sighs, “I’m not too far Red, it shouldn’t take me long to get down to you,” he chuckles, “I was planning to fly down to Mexico soon, you caught me at a good time.”

“Thank you Frank, you could be a real lifesaver.”

“Remember this Red, you owe me one,”

“Of course.”

There’s a pause, 

“I guess I’ll see you then Red.”

“And I guess i won’t,” Matt says with a little smile, he feels there’s something else he should say, anything, but he doesn’t.

A little part of him, the one that misses Foggy, misses that close friendship can't believe he made a blind joke to a serial murderer. He hopes Frank missed it, he certainly did not respond.

The car's tyres squeal again, and now Matt is worried, but Frank just grunts noncommittally and the line finally goes dead.

He holds the phone out before him for a moment, but Matt knows he has no time to waste, Matthew Murdock needs to become the Daredevil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately for me school starts again soon, and I am trying to write this whilst re-watching Defenders, so updates may be sporadic, still hope you are all enjoying!


	3. Chapter 3

“Do you think it's them?” Luke asked, the chef and the waiter bustling past Matt speaking rapidly in nervous cantonese. Inside the royal dragon it was all battle stations. That car, or more likely van, from the sound of those breaks, had not gone unnoticed, if Matt knew, then so did Stick, and unlike Matthew Stick had been paying attention.

“Most likely,” Stick grumbled back, they were all hiding around the window and Matt hurried to join them.  
“How did they find us?” Luke ventured, Matt could hear how his voice tightened and he changed his stance, as if he was bracing for impact. Danny did likewise settling into a fighting stance fists out.  
“It was only a matter of time,”  
“Who's inside?” If Matt had got to guess, this readiness was more of a habit to Luke than anything else, afterall he had taken rounds of gunfire to the chest and face and not even flinched.  
Matt could hear guns cockijng in the not so distant vicinity, a noise he could recognise in his sleep,  
“Weapons,” he said, “a couple of guns, fully loaded.” if he had been there he could have, no he should have noticed them closing in, he should have been able to help, yet he had been chatting to Frank Castle and not listening like he had been taught.

“What about the woman with the swords?”  
He strained, cursing himself, he wanted to hear her, to hear something to prove that Elektra was real, and not another grieving shadow of loss.  
“I cant- i cant tell.”

Stick sniffed loudly, they were not alone anymore.

The woman- this Alexandra, she had sneaked up on all of them. Matt swore under his breath, did the backdoor out into the alley lock when he came back in, shouldn't he have shared something? Anything? Was this his fault?

She rounded on Stick with a cruel smile in her voice, but she was only interested in Danny, as he listened to her as she began to trade verbal blows with Stick, each word tipped with venom, strikingly fast and dangerous.

“Perhaps it's time to consider some alternatives.” she whispered to Danny in a somewhat coy tone. But Danny wasn't a fool, or at least not that much of one.  
Whatever she had said about the Kun’lun or whatever had put fire in him, there was a snarl in his throat, when she reached out to touch him, Danny almost jumped back like he had been scalded. 

That much anger made Matt wonder what it was that this woman had done, what sort of morbid torture kept you alive this long, Elektra and Roxxon were most certainly mixed up in this, Elektra’s blood might well be on those perfectly manicured nails.

Only Stick seemed unphased, his heartbeat was low and level, whereas Luke and Danny’s bounded in Matt’s ears, he tried to stay back, to stay vigilant but he could barely hear her speak, how she twisted Stick’s words, just as remorseless and cold as Stick was.

“The same thing i've always wanted, to bring light into the dark, to bring life where there is death.” she purred.  
Matt curled his lip up in disgust, her very presence was like an oozing sweetness concealing poison,  
“for all your talk of life you sure kill a lot of people,” Luke rumbled, taking Danny’s side, trying to separate him from Alexandra's laser glare.

She turned on him but Luke stood firm, looking down on her with his icy, controlled anger bristling in the air.

She turned to Matt, where he stood at the window, separating him effectively from the others,  
“I can see you've formed a kind of bond here. And while that might give you some comfort, I promise you, it's temporary.” she turned back to Danny, who tried not to flinch under her scrutinizing focus, Matt could tell that he was as scared as he had ever been, “they will disappoint you” she said,  
“They haven't yet.”

If it had been any other time, or really any other group of pseudo-friends, Matt would have made something of that, made a joke, or tried to crack a smile, but right there and now it felt more like he was standing on cracking ice.

“If i might give you some advice,” she continued, everyone else too tense to say something, to break this script leant surely in her favor. “the more connections you have the easier it will be to break you.”

The phone in Matt’s pocket felt as heavy as lead, what was he doing? Who was going to be in danger now because of him? Luke’s hands curled into fists and his heart rate spiked, all sorts of angry thoughts were rushing around inside him, Matt coils heard each one of his muscles tensing. He could even hear the beginning of the horrible humming that was almost beyond his hearing, the sound that came with Danny powering up, Matt guessed,

This woman wanted to threaten everyone they cared about, Foggy, Karen, Claire, Frank, along with everyone in New York, millions of people, just living their lives, and she was offering them for Danny.  
“Just think about how many lives you could save, if just you came with me.” she said with a flick of her hair, and only for a second, Matt did. She was holding an entire city hostage, but if she could do that, whatever she needed Danny for was ultimately going to be worse.

“If you walk with her i'll take you out myself.” no one else could have heard it, but Matt did, the slight tremble in Stick’s voice, not even when Elektra had tried to hunt him down did he ever show any kind of fear, but now, his voice wavered. The faith in his secret organisation, the one that Matthew had never shared, seemed to be crumbling. Whatever the hand could do, it scared Stick. Matt wasn't sympathetic for the old man, of course, but it did strike that dread in his heart. The same dread he had felt as he heard the blood drain from Elektra’s corpse.

“Mr Rand you need to think this through-” the woman said, stroking Danny’s suit sleeves, in an uncomfortably possessive kind of way.  
“And you need to leave.” Luke said, the sudden, controlled anger in his voice pushing her back, “Now.”

The next thing Matt heard was the drawing of those two twin blades, Luke stepping forwards to protect Danny and that soft breathing that Matt could swear hadn't been there a second before.

Then the doors blew open.

The fact that Jessica Jones could throw cars should have terrified Matthew, he had afterall never really fought someone who could throw someone through a wall let alone a car.  
Thank god she was on their side.   
For once Matt thought that it was likely he would be forgiven for taking the lord's name in vain, the situation was really that extrem.

And then people were crashing through ceilings and smashing the doors down. Elektra however held her own against all of them at once, then there was the gun fire and shattering glass that made his head ring. But the others were there, despite Matts best intentions, they would have to work together if they wanted to get out alive.

The others were more than happy to slice and crush their way through these waves of mercenaries. But Matthew had unfinished business, and so it seemed that Elektra’s ghost did too. She had gone right for him, he would recognise her grip, her smell, her breathing patterns anywhere, even as they plunged out into the night air.

He didnt want to leave the others but she was his to dea with, his unrelenting gost made flesh, it might have been stupid to say outloud but it would be unfair to her to fight with the others, they could have each killed her with ease.  
And despite her currently trying to kill him, and everytime she had tried to break him, she probably didn't deserve that.

“This is not who you are.” he panted rolling back to his feet, he tried to hold is arms out as nontreateningly as possible, but she didn't stop,

“I know you-” she slammed him into a dumpster, matt fell to his knees, he couldn't breathe, she knew exactly where to hit him as she walked free,

“You died,” he said trying to hold her down, “I held you in my arms” matt tried to start as she kicked him in the jaw. But Matt clung on desperate as she threw him around, with strength that seemed to come from nowhere.

“I buried you Elektra!”

It was if whatever dark spell, if that’s what it was, that was controlling her had been severed.

She froze.  
Turned to face him, now more like a deer in the headlights than a killer.

“Electra, that’s your name Elektra,” Matt repeated it like it was a prayer.  
“What have they done-”

Then the car hit her.  
It was the second car crash of Matt’s night, and thankfully it hadn’t been going that fast. However the bending and crunching of metal in his ears was still almost excruciating as the parts collided.  
With a final sad little cough the engine died, Elektra this time didn’t move.  
The driver however did, he jumped out of the front seat with a grunt, as he inspected his handy work.

The back door slammed open, and the man that had fallen through the ceiling, Murakami Matt thought, called out in furious japanese when he saw Elektra as she lay sprawled across the ground where she had been thrown.   
Two gunshots shook the air, and the man fell to the ground clutching at his shattered knees.

Taking a good look at Matt on the floor struggling to his feet, the gun-man offered him his hand.  
The hand was warm with gun-fire and sweat, skin rough from years of hard work, enclosing Matt’s entirely, he knew he had called the right person.

“Nice to know I’m in the right place Red.”  
“Good to see you too Frank.”  
Matt could feel Franks eyes on him,   
“Did you just make a blind joke?”


	4. Chapter 4

A few seconds later, Matt was brushing his best court suit off whilst Frank checked the quiet back road for anymore oncoming hostile forces.  
The fire door nearly flew off its hinges when Jessica kicked it open, Stick casually stepping over Murakami's prone body, Jessica looked disgusted at his nonchalance but followed suit, pushing an entire dumpster in front of the door whilst Danny dragged the prone man out of the way,

"Who's this then Matty?" Stick drawled, taking in the whole sight of Frank Castle, with a pistol in his hand and that cold empty manner that could fool anyone else, Matt could hear as Frank's entire posture stiffened in response.  
"Where's Luke, Stick?"  
"Luke ? There's more of you?" Frank said, staring at Jessica with a look of concern and fascination as there came a great deal of hammering from the other side of the door, but nothing dared to budge.  
"More are coming, let's go." Danny said warily,  
There was a grunt and a rattle as Stick pulled up a drain cover, "Smells like shit, but it's our only way out."  
As if to prove his point the slamming at the door seemed to increase in volume and intensity. Matt could smell the drain from where he stood, and it was still almost enough to force his dinner into making a recurrence, even Danny seemed to be judging Stick's choices.

"Not our only way out."   
Frank's voice was gruff, but slightly amused, dangling from his hand, jangling softly were the keys to the car.

Jessica didn't even look back at the drain, marching over to Frank's side,   
"I call shotgun."  
Stick didn't waste any time before issuing orders, "everyone in the vehicle," then leaning towards a wide eyed and suspicious looking Frank, "try anything and it doesn't matter if Matty knows you, I will hunt you and your family down."

Frank's whole body tensed, Matt inhaled sharply, desperately wanting Stick to shut up, but he almost breathed out a very loud sigh of relief as Frank relaxed again, moving to ignore Stick's comment as only Frank could.

Matt hadn't really listened to his reactions this closely before, he himself was breathing hard, with exertion and the adrenaline rushing through his body, but just as he was when he took a shot, Frank was calm, angry and the first move on the surface, but deep down he was a quiet as the world was loud.  
And it was loud, but not loud enough.  
Inside the building Matt could hear the attackers going quiet, he could hear their breathing getting further away from the door, something big was about to happen.   
They were running out of time.

Danny tried to give Matt a pleading look, or at least that's what Matt hoped it was, with all that flipping of his hair, but those puppy dog eyes don't tend to work when one party can't see the exact expression the other is making.

Seconds later they were piling into Frank's car, which Matt was somewhat unsurprised to find that it probably wasn't Frank's car, it didn't smell like Frank, at least he didn't think Frank would have some kind of extremely loudly fruity air freshener, and the engines complained like it had been hotwired. But it didn't stop him from driving like it was, with Stick wedged between Matt and Danny, Frank hit the gas. 

Matt felt the urge to hold on to something for dear life, but between Stick and the impromptu arsenal in the back seat, holding on wasn't really an option.

They tore away just in time to see the door burst open, with such force it almost sent the entire dumpster flying.

"Shit." Frank was looking out the rear mirror, hissing out various curses under his breath,  
"What is it?" Jessica asked, head whipping around.  
"I've never seen anyone hit like that, what the hell was that?"  
He wasn't wrong, there was nothing natural about the way the hand was operating, and at the end of the day Frank was just a normal guy.  
"Does anyone want to tell me what is happening?" Frank growled, moving the car through the gears with what must have been more force than necessary.

He tried to listen, to strain his hearing, to hear if anyone was following them, it was all Matt could do, he didn't know what to tell Frank, if he could help it he never would have got him in this kind of mess. He tried to form words, but all he could hear was his own heartbeat ringing in his head.

"Shit if I know-" Jessica said, some kind of crazy cult thing. Not my area."  
Stick grunted like he wanted to say something, but thankfully refrained.

Matt felt like he was a million miles away, it was like the world was still shaking around him, Electra, Stick, the hand-, Frank, t was too much too fast. He wanted to yell to stop, to let it all go quite and still as he tried to think it all through. 

But Danny poked him in the shoulder, and everything came crashing back down, his panicked heartbeat drowned out by everyone else's exaggerated vitals. But in all that Frank's voice was the only thing measured and calm. It must have been his trooper's nerves.  
"Where are we going Red?" he asked, his words clear despite the low rumble of his voice. His eyes were still fixed out on the road, hands clenched tight on the wheel, but Frank was looking at him, Jessica the front seat passenger said nothing, really Matt didn't know what to say either. The Hand's operatives were everywhere, who was safe if they weren't.  
"Hang on," Danny chimed in, ignoring the painful silence, "I think I know a place."

Matt could take guess at where they were before the engine of the four by four had even stopped, it was somewhere familiar, that was for certain, something in the rhythm of someone somewhere abusing a punch bag, the smell of that chalk and glove combination that Matt knew so well from his childhood, and from the way Danny Rand's heart rate sped up as they pulled up outside, well Matt could put two and two together, he wasn't stupid.  
Someone Danny liked was here, he might have been the 'immortal iron fist' but he was also embarrassingly easy to read.  
Stick knew it too, before Matt could fully take in his surroundings or even undo his settable, the old bastard was climbing over him, as limber as someone who was blind and down a limb.

As they climbed Danny started to awkwardly pick up speed, heading towards the sound of punching, the woman was even muttering they're names under her breath she did so, so it was the least Matt could do to assume they were somewhat expected.

Danny took the last few steps two at a time with all the expected drama as he pulled the women into an embrace.  
"Where have you been?" the young woman said, partially through Danny's hair  
"I'll explain everything," Danny said, all pleadingly, "but first we have company."  
There was a sharp inhale.

"Ah," Matt muttered under his breath, as Colleen Wing stared at them, trying to take their strange group, the absurd presence of the smartly dressed blind man- who looked like he may have come out the wrong side of mugging, Jessica Jones who looked like she was considering whether to commit a felony, Frank who looked like he just had, and Stick who was doing his best to drip as much blood onto the dojo's clean floor, rearrangement where his makeshift bandages had come away during the fight.  
"I said I'd bring him back." Stick said, the picture of casual as he strode into the room like he owned the place.  
"What happened?"she asked concerned,  
"The Hand attacked us." Danny said, checking the windows, "They took Luke."

The woman hissed under her breath like she knew Luke, the bulletproof-ness and everything.  
At this point Matt was slightly worried that he seemed to be the only one who didn't.

"Wait hang on- there more of you?" Frank growled, stepping hesitantly away from Jessica, afterall he had seen what she could do under pressure  
"Yeah." Jessica replied otherwise ignoring him,  
"Luke Cage? Taller than you? Shaved head?" Colleen asked,  
"Wasn't there long." Frank answered bluntly, before motioning like he was going to continue- when Jessica cut back in;  
"Do I recognize you or something?" she said, scanning Frank, "have you been on the news or something?"  
"No-" Matt yelped in surprise at the same time Frank replied with his own gravelly dissent.  
Frank looked back at Matt in surprise.  
Matt said nothing and hoped Frank hadn't seen how fast he had looked away.  
He did not want to get Frank into any more trouble, after all that effort to fake his death, he didn't think Castle would be too happy.

The Punisher stood by the door, looking around as if hoping an explanation would appear for him.   
Matt felt bad for him, which surprised him, but he hated being the last to know what was happening.

"How do you know they didn't follow you here?"  
"We were not tailed if that's what you want to know." Frank said, "I know how to lose a tail.  
"He's right," Matt painted, there was nothing suspicious sounding going on outside right the second "were clear."

"Jesus Red." Frank grunted, sounding supposed as Matt tilted his head father to listen,  
"What?" Colleen hissed in response.  
"We can't keep running forever," Danny called as he jogged over to the Dojo's back room.  
"I'm not running, period."  
"I have to second the lady who can throw dumpsters." Frank added, "now will anyone explain what the hell is happening?"  
He was ignored.

"My company owns a building not far from here."   
"Your company?" Frank said, "who even are you?" looking to Matt for any kind of explanation, it was a nice gesture, but it didn't really feel like the right time for a full backstory explanation, Frank really needed to have been there half an hour ago.  
"Short story, he's a billionaire."  
"What? Seriously, he barely looks sixteen." FRank replied with a disbelieving snort,  
"No really,"  
"Where do you keep finding people like this Red?"

"Are you two done?" Jessica sacked, hands on her hips, rage in every muscle. we don't need another hideout. We just need this to be over."  
"You're simplifying this-"  
"Oh, am I? And the last time we had a plan, this one went off on his own and brought back a complete stranger, not to mention that chick in the spandex."  
"Yeah," Danny said slowly like he was just processing it, "just like he did in Midland Circle." he paused, "who even are you." he said looking Frank up and down.  
"I'm the guy who-"  
"Stop!" Stick shouted, spinning on his heel and raising his fists, there was a rattle at the door.  
Colleen rushed for what must have been some kind of sword, and Matt could sense how Frank's hand went straight to one of his concealed weapons, the gun just tucked beneath his long leather jacket.  
Matt could hear it too now, it hadn't been the door rattling but something further off, something much louder.   
Heavy footsteps, getting closer.   
Someone Matt couldn't quite match.  
And then he did.  
Matthew Murdock grinned like a lunatic as the door opened.  
There was Luke Cage, covered in blood that wasn't his own.  
Not a scratch on him.

"You can put all that down," he said, so slightly out of breath, "i'm fine- actually i'm better than fine."  
Frank grunted, and there was a loud definitive click as he lowered the gun, all silent and still, until Luke opened up the back of the stolen truck and revealed the crime lord defeated in the back.  
"I got one of theirs," Luke said proudly, and to Matt's surprise Frank just seemed to take it in his stride, even with him ignoring the fact that Luke was wholly unharmed.  
"I think i'm going to like this guy." Frank said with a smirk. "Now what shall we do with him?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for inactivity, i realized my lack of motivation for this revolved around the fact i never came up with a well thought out plot, but im fixing that, and i promise this will be back soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be a bit short but honestly i cant tell anymore.

“How much longer do you think he'll be out?” Danny asked, his voice bouncing off the high ceilings and perfect acoustically designed walls. They were in some abandoned theatre building, how Stick had found it or known it was empty was beyond Matt, and honesty he didn't want to know. The echoes of every spoken word bounced aimlessly through Matt’s ears long after they had faded from the ordinary audible range.

“Not much longer.” Jessica snapped, she was cold, tired and angry. She hugged her leather jacket tight to her, clinging to the scarf that Matthew had returned to her possession.

“How do you know?”

“Because this is happening.” she said casually, before leaning over and slapping their prisoner with all of her superhuman strength.

It had been Frank’s idea to tie him to the chair and cover his eyes, but they had to unfortunately decline the idea of duct-taping his mouth closed. They needed this man’s answer.

“There’s nothing you can do to me to make me betray my own.” Sowande drawled, it was annoying to say the least, he was surrounded by all manner of superhumans as well as a walking arsenal of a man, and yet, somehow he was still smiling.

Try as he might Matt couldn’t get a read on him, he betrayed no other emotion.

“I'm up for the challenge,” Jessica drawled,

“And i've had my fair share of experience making people talk,” Frank agreed, which surprised Matt a little, he hadn't really expected Frank to be so involved, he had been thrown in the deep end and yet seems perfectly happy to play along.

“Hang on,” Frank said, voice lighting up, “i've got an idea.” 

Silence fell as Matt listened to his boots thump across the ruined floor in a light jog, there was a distant crash and the sound of boxes opening, and then Matt heard a curious sound, the whining of a drill, then slamming doors accompanied with Frank's heavy tread back over the theatre’s boards.

This was a moment, and if Matt had to guess, Frank was flourishing his newest members of the arsenal.

“I found some power tools, let's get this bastard to speak.”

There was a pause as if the words needed to sink in, and somehow Matt was surprised, but in everything he knew about Frank, this didn't seem so out of place. Afterall he had witnessed it first hand.

Matt knew that well, it had been that fateful night when Daredevil couldn't save him.

“I don't think that will be necessary.” said Luke carefully, his voice level despite the rapid pace of his heart, Matthew wasn't exactly surprised, he seemed to be the most rational, the first to brea from the spell that the night seems to be holding them all under. 

For a second Matt wanted to ignore him, to let the answers flow one way or another, but as he let himself realise that he wasn't alone, he pulled back. 

Even in death Electra would not get to make him into her toy.

Matt wouldn't do this, he would not become the demon that sat before or stood beside him.

Stick cleared his throat slightly, as if he could sense the warring ideals in Matt’s head, just letting him know that he was right there.

“There's no point.” he grumbled, “the fingers were cast out of K’un-Lun.”

“I'm sorry where.” said Frank, slamming the drill down pointedly.

Stick ignored him. “He was trained with the same monks that raised him.” he pointed to Danny.

“Oh.” said Frank, who was obviously still trying to piece together what was happening. That realisation brought with it a surge of admiration to Matt’s heart. Here was Frank Castle, one of new york, if not the world's most wanted men, and here he was, with only his trust in Matthew keeping him there.

He had much more faith in him than Matt had led himself to believe.

“Let me guess,” Frank replied with a little sigh, “they were tough buggers? Brutal trials, starving yourself on a mountain kind of thing?”

“Something like that,” Danny said, with something that may have been begrudging respect or just exhaustion, “that and fighting a dragon.”

The young billionaire did not elaborate.

Matt took a guess and hoped that Frank’s jaw had dropped, it certainly didn't make sense to Matt and he could have sworn he had met someone raised from the dead.

“So he won't crack by force.” Colleen summarized, folding her arms, her mood was almost audible, she was not happy, not happy to be there, and from what Matt could tell not happy to see Danny back in it.

It was clear she cared for him, the way she would look back at him when no one else was, it was something Matt had noticed in bystanders before, the little sings that care aran deep with shared experiences, and like it always did, it made him wonder if he unconsciously ddi the same.

“You know nothing of the power of the Hand. You are mice who fell into a well.” Sowande said his voice so smug, as if he wasn't the one tied to a chair. “Believe me this will drown you.” 

That calmness really struck at that angry part of Matt that he tried to keep quiet, that bit that screamed for revenge everytime he realized he could do nothing, that part of him that wanted to keep hitting, to keep fighting, that bit of him that Kingpin had broken open.

“What do you want with our city?”

“York city? This place belongs to the hand. It always has.”

“Why do you want Danny Rand?” Matt said, pushing down his own tight chest to listen to the intonation of their captives' voices, to every one of his vital signs as if they would let him read the Hand’s mind.

“Nothing you do can make me serve you. Do you understand?” Danny says, pushing in, he was frustrated too, but was handling it much less than the others.

“Do i understand?” Sowande answered with a gutoral chuckle, “you are the dumbest iron fist yet.”

“Tell me what you want with me.” Danny hissed, riled up and ready to fight just like he had been at midland circle, rushing in head first.

Matt could see why Stick liked him, he would be much easier to wind up, and point in the direction of the enemy.

Put as Matt listened, head cocked, trying to pull apart the tapestry of heart rates before ehim, a hand cut through the noise, alsons so still like a solidarity, Frank reached between them and gripped Danny’s shaking shoulders and pulled him back.

“This is exactly what he wants.” Frank said carefully, putting himself between the Iron Fist and the Hand member, 

“We want the fist.” Sowande said at the same time, grinning like a skull. “You are nothing.”

Danny struggled angrily, but Frank held him back, just as much of a wall as Luke could be.

“He wants you off balance, he wants you on edge and us at our own throats, it's the first part of war you learn when you live it. If you can tear your enemies up from the inside then they can not stand against you.” he took Danny by the shoulders like he was a child, “do not let him get to you, or your anger will only fuel him more.”

“you sound like you would be great with kids.” Jess scoffed, Matt flincted subconsciously, but there was more respect than anything else under Jess’ scornful tone.

“You are nothing, all of you, Danny Rand failed an entire city. The palace he was sworn to protect.” and then Sowande swiveled his sightless head, the same way the unbreakable one ley that boy died in a jail cell. The same way the woman couldn't save the architect?”

Matt could hear everything that was coming before it happened, he grasped for Jessica’s wildly swinging arm in the same way Frank had grabbed Danny, Frank was right, of course he had been.

He knew how to get inside someone's head.

Their anger served a purpose, and for once it was as if the clouds had parted and he could see it clearly.

“What about the ones you still live? What will become of them once you are gone? Who else must die because of you?”

“Who are you talking about?” said Luke his calm demeanor slipping slightly as he gently pulled Jessica back,

“The nurse, the woman on the radio, they'll come for them next. How many mice will drown with you?”

With each word the heartbeats in the room seemed to speed up, increasing in volume, overwhelming Matt, like a whole new earthquake.

And as he drowned in the noise Ma. How many mice must drown with you?”

With each word the heartbeats in the room seemed to deepen, to speed up, increasing with volume, Overwhelming Matt, every thought pushing to the same beat. It ate at him with all the fera and uncertainty, like a whole new earthquake.

And it was as he drowned in the noise Matthew realised something.

Despite how everything the hand did, seemed to loom over them, how every hit seemed to land faster and harder, despite how much the Hand made some part of him want to run, they had something the Hand couldn’t have predicted, or at least two.

Him. The devil of hell kitchen, a masked man. They couldn’t predict him obviously.

And the other was Frank.

A man with nothing to lose, with more experience than anyone else. 

Someone who was meant to be dead.

Someone who would still be to the world, if he hadn’t trusted Matt.

The Hand hadn’t prepared for them, and definitely not for Frank’s loyalty.

The following punch landed heavily, like a brick hitting raw meat.

Sowande’s head snapped backwards, unconscious.

“He talked too much.”

“I'll second that.” Frank said, shifting on his feet almost nervously, “now what do we do from here?”

“Im leaving.” Jessica spat, already starting to storm away.

“You can't go. Not yet.” Frank said carefully, still considering, thinking things through slowly, he had his hand on his chin like some kind of marble statue, Matt could hear it, the way his hand rapeseed thoughtful against the tiny hairs that were growing from his face. If it hadn't been such a dire situation Matt would have been slightly amused, despite being a wild mass murderer, Frank had always been rather neat when Matt had faced him before.

“You can't stop me.I have people I need to protect. I don't know about you four but I won't let these people hurt anyone I care about.”

“I'm not debating that.”

“Then what is it,” Luke replied, audibly shaken, “he knows my fire- my girlfriend, I won't let them ge6 to her.”

“And i'm not stopping you, but we need a plan, for all we know this could be exactly what the Hand are expecting us to do.” Frank replied, his voice had almost stumbled across the Hand and he looked towards Matt for confirmation as if he still couldn't quite believe his own words. “We should stay together, they wouldn't expect it, and if something happens, wouldn't it be better to have been over prepared?”

“I mean he isn't wrong,” Danny said, “right?” as he looked to Stick for confirmation, Frank scoffed under his breath, it made Matt want to smile, he never had the will to stand against Stick before, but here was Frank out of his depth and still able to take charge.

He was everything the leader Stick wanted.

He wasn't Matt of course, but he had everything Matt wasn't able to give, what he wasn't willing to give.

That anger, that violence, that mind of a soldier.

It should have felt like a release, the idea that this nightmare could be over if he was no longer a candidate for Sticks cult. 

But it didn't.

Whether it was jealousy or something else. 

The idea just didn't sit right with Matt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back at work on this so don't worry, hopefully i wont be vanishing off again. I've actually finished the outline for this and i have a week or so to keep this going. So i should be seeing you all soon!


	6. Chapter 6

“So who are you exactly?” Jessica said leisurely, slamming her feet down onto the dashboard of the car. “We all got to have a cute little ntor back at the restaurant, and yet you seem to have appeared out of nowhere.”

Sat directly behind Frank in the car Matt could hear as hands tensed on the wheel, and it wasn't due to the traffic.

“Im no one.” Frank said breaking the silence he had perpetuated since they had left the ruined theatre and Stick. 

“Oh no, you are not pulling that one. If devil boy here cant pull that card neither cna you, complete random stranger.”

“Devil boy?”

“Please don't get her started Frank.” Matt said, it wasn't the worst nickname ever but he did not want it to stick,

“So they know now do they Red?”

“I didn't get a choice in the matter Frank.”

“Red? Frank? So how do you two know each other?” Jesisca said teasingly,

“Have i seen you before?” Danny asked unhelpfully, “I swear I recognize you from something.”

“Yeah,” said Coleen who had taken the boot, “have you been on the television or something?”

There was an awkward pause, and Matt could tell they- well Frank was running out of time before the other figured it out. It's not that they were not obviously inteliengin their own right, but Matt was seriously surprised it hasn't happened yet.

“It's nothing.” Matt replied quickly before Frank could even open his mouth.

Jesica snorted, Matt could almost imagine her smirk.

“We are here.” Frank said finally, trying a hard as he could to ignore the others in the car, it had been his idea to stay together as much as possible, and Jessica had been doing her best to make the others regret it.

They pulled up with a screech of brakes. And Luke who had been sitting in a nervous silence for most of the drive to the nearest contact, fumbled with the dorr, and threw it open whilst the car was still moving, afterall, the closest friend, just so happened to be Claire Temple.

That alone had put her at the top of the list to alert first, that and at some time or another they had all worked, or in some cases done more, with her. 

It helped that she also lived pretty nearby.

Jessica watched him go, and folded her arms. “Now what do we do?”

“We get her out, make sure nothing is coming, and then we get them to safety.”

“We take them to the police.” Matt said, noticing both how Frank and Jessica flinched, when going to the police had been mentioned, which was not surprising. It had been the plan, as a police predint would likely be far too guarded for the Hand to make a move. And yet it was one of the places that Frank couldn't go. If he wanted to remain anonymous, and dead to the world. He couldn't come with them.

And yet when they had talked it through he hadn't fought, or disagreed. He had just gone along with it. This might put him in more danger and yet he didn't seem to mind.

“Have you called one of you guys to bring another car?” Jessica grunted in disgust, still not happy to be in the presence of a magical if not slightly trigger happy billionaire who barely seems out of his teens.

Or at least that's what Jess had called him under her breath.

“The old blind guy kept saying that, he needed to get to you before they did.” said Colleen, as she climbed over the seats to sit next to Danny. “And can we even trust him?”

“It's because the hand doesn't want to kill me. They want me alive'' he murmured back, the two of them turned away from the others, curled closely together. And yet Matt could hear everything.

“He told you why?”

“no.”

“I don't think he knows either.”

“But it's obvious that they do.” Frank rumbled, butting into the conversation, “what is it exactly that you can do? What is it that makes you special other than being stinking rich?”

“It's a long story.” Danny said, “its chi-”

“Please do not do this again.” Jessica said, turning around “his hand lights up and he can hit hard, it's not that special.”

“Hey- I was trained for years to-”

“Whatever, I'm just saying, three of of us five others can do crazy stuff too, what are they so interested in you?” Jessica said, making a point to wave her clenched fist over the back of the seat.

“My point is-” Colleen said, voice terse, “what are you listening to him? What are any of us listening to him?”

Matt froze, it was a good question, one he had kept himself up at night with when she was younger.

“What do you mean?” Danny said, but all Matt could hear was his teachings.

“What are you listening to any of them Danny-”

“Hey-”

“This is not your fight, it's ours. It's our responsibility. More people are just going to get hurt.”

“Hey kid- Colleen- whatever lone wolf crusade you think is going on here is over. This doesn't have to be your problem anymore.”

“The scary man is right- we all have people at risk and you two acting so high and mighty-”

“What Jessica is trying to say is-”

“Shut up, I don't need you to talk for me counsellor.”

“Stop all of you! The point is,” Frank said, tense, “we aren't going anywhere. I have nothing to lose, but you all probably do, so i'm not going anywhere. This isn't just about you anymore. No one else needs to be endangered, if we work together, like the hand does then we can use that against them. You get it.”

There was silence.

Jessica sank furthe rdoen into the seat funing quietly, and Matt could hear the way that the blood boiled around him.

“Colleen,” Frank said softly this time, with all of the care of someone trying to calm a storm, “you haven't seen what these people can do, hell i haven't even seen much of it, but you don't have to do this alone anymore, whatever they've done to you, does not define how this ends. We can do this together.”

It was like the ticking time bomb that had built up piece by piece had just vanished, whatever had happened, Frank had hit it on the head, from one soldier to another, despite how different the wars they had fought must have been, it worked. 

Matt could hear it all clearly now, vitals dropping.

Other signs, approaching quickly.

Suspiciously behaving signs.

Like those ninjas he fought.

Almost silence.

Except for the weapons.

And the car.

Hands on swords,

_ One batch _

Knives on knives,

_ Two batch _

Armed to the teeth,

_ Nickel and dime _

Pulling up outside Claire's apartment.

“Quick. We need to go.”

“What? Where do we- agh.” Danny yelped, as Matt leant across the seta to grab the door.

“We anrt alone.”

“Wait how do you know?” Jessica said as she stared angry back from the other side of the car door.

“Just move-” Frank said, jumping into action

“They're going around the back,” Colleen said, her knuckles tightening on the hilt of her sword, she and Danny watching the black suvs turning the corner.

“Do we get Luke?” jessica hissed as Danny went one ways and Colleen peeled off towards an alley,

“Maybe that would be a good idea,” Frank said, following the direction Colleen had gone, “we can't have any civilians in danger.”

“Are we not civilians in danger?” Jessica retorted, but Matt could hear her step as she walked hurriedly towards Claire’s apartment.

That left Matt to follow Danny.

He wasn't hard to follow, for someone trained by monks, or ninjas or whatever he was very loud. Matt had almost caught up with him when the first guy came out of nowhere fists swing, but since Matt had pointed them out they had both been on guard, and Danny countered hard the man's bones cracking and ribs shatting audible as Danny hit him.

The first assailant had barely hit the ground when the second and third appeared. As Matt joined him, it was clear that Danny was incredibly skilled, their fighting skills surprisingly similar despite their obvious differences in skill sets. 

Matt slammed into a wall the vibrations of the impact almost sending him reeling, but he could still just about sens the man before him, and got in a good right hook to the face before she let go.

There was yelp and a grunt as Matt guessed Danny sent a man flying, at least he guessed from the volume and pattern of his impact with the alley floor.

“Not bad, for a blind guy.” Danny said, already starting to jog away.

“Not bad yourself.” Matt hissed just about catching up. As Danny paused at an intersection, Matt allowed the city to filter in, the sounds and smells overwhelming, but among the rabble and radio he could just about hear the others.

“Colleen-” he said,

“What about her-”

“There's someone she's facing, someone she knows, she's afraid”

“You can tell that?”

“I can hear her.”

“We need to go then,” Danny yelped, his voice rising in worry, turning to start jogging away “who is it?”

“How would i know that?” Matt replied indignantly, “and you are going the word way, this way would be faster.”

Swords clashing cut right through the sounds of the night and Matt knew he was on the right track. He couldn't hear Frank, and it worried him slightly, but as he lept over broken and rusting dumpsters he tried to force the doubt from his mind. He needed to stay on top of the game. 

His new team needed him too.

Matt could just about catch snatches of a conversation, and it worried him,

“-we need to talk.”

“There's nothing to talk about.” Colleen snarled, swinging her sword back around.

“Who is she talking to,” Matt muttered under his breath, it worried him, Colleen had been the most prepared and cooperative member of the group, mostly, but now she sounded shaken, shaken and furious.

“-what do you want with Danny-”

“Does she happen to know someone from the hand?” Matt asked, suspicion creeping in, it would make the most sense. He was no therapist or expert on trauma, but it would fit with her determination, he had heard and felt enough guilt in his time as a lawyer to know when it was getting personal.

“Him.” was the only thing Danny said, before he seemed to be struck with a whole new burst of energy, leaping forwards. The blood was rushing so loudly.

Matt had so many questions, but it was all he could do to keep up.

“-we have a second chance to finish what we started-

“Brainwashing me?” 

“-you flourished under my training”

And then Matt heard it, a calm exhale, loud enough his ears caught it instinctively, and the smallest of whispers;

“ _ One batch, two batch.” _

And then there was a gunshot.

Danny let it be an animalistic yell, but he couldn't know what was happening.

And then another.

“ _ Penny and dime.” _

Heavy footsteps made their way toward the gunshots, followed by a familiar deep voice.

As Danny and Matt rounded the corner, they were greeted by the rest of the team.

Colleen stood over a broken body, with Frank at her side, Luke seemed to be trying to chew them out but his heart didn't seem to be in it.

“He deserved it Luke, you weren't there.” Frank rumbled, “and he isn't even dead, that's not my call to make.”

“He's right, Luke, he isn't dead” Matt said, running toward the body, and Frank hadn't been wrong there was still a faint pulse.

“Well it isn't your call to kill someone.”

“I know,” Frank said calmly, despite the fact he was staring down Luke Cage, who was surprisingly towering over him, “it's not my call, it's Colleen’s.”

In one swift motion Colleen slammed her sword into the man’s rib cage, right through his lung.

He let out a strangled wheeze, and Matt could hear the blood surging through his airways.

“You should have stayed dead.” Colleen hissed.

“Yeah,” said Danny, who moved to grasp her free hand, “you can't hurt her or anyone else again.”

“Sorry to break up whatever this is but wouldn’t we need him alive if he is in on this?” Jessica said, sounding a little disgusted.

“He's not just in on this,” Colleen said through gritted teeth, “he's one of the fingers of the hand. He is a monster.”

“He was for sure dead the last time we saw him. right?” said Claire, looking at the group in confusion, Matt flinched slightly as he rease she must be looking them all up and down, but if she really noticed, or recognised him, she didn't show it. 

She already knew of course, to some degree, but it really didn't stop him from getting that kind of shiver down the spine every time it happened.

“Oh yeah.” Danny said quietly, his voice tight and furious.

“Good, just checking.” she replayed shaken.

“Remember the last time we faced off, Bakuto?”

“I do mr Rand,” the man gurgled, there was a violent choking noise, as Matthew realised he was laughing doing his own blood. “and i would look forward to doing it again.”

With a grunt Colleen twisted the balde deeper, the squishing noises, loud sought it wasn't just Matt who could hear them.

Luke looked green, but Jessica just looked on, as if she had seen worse.

That did not make Matt any more certain about her character.

“I had heard you had made sem more friends, a smart move,” Bakuto choked out, “seeing how useless you've become.” he said, turning his bleary eyes to Colleen, who seems to look more and more ill with each word.

“We have no need for this slimy bastard.” Frank said, kicking his leg. “Our other prisoner would probably be more talkative, we don't need to keep him alive.”

“Now hold on we can't just kill this man,” Luke said, 

“I don't really think he's going to survive tonight,” Frank said, with a grim chuckle, “I don't think this silver tongued worm would be any good anyway.”

“He's not wrong.” Colleen agred, slightly breathlessly, there were tears Matt habdr noticed rolling down her cheek, “he got away and lived last time. If we let him go again, we never know how much damage he could do.”

“If that's true we can't let him get away.” Jessica said blunty, “we end this now. '' she caught Colleen’s eye, her voice softening ever so slightly, in a way that would have been almost impossible to pick up, “if that's alright with you.”

Colleen took in a slow shaky breath, “I can- i cnat let him hurt anyone else,” she said, looking to Danny for any kind of comfort, and Danny Rand just nodded slightly in agreement.

Matt couldn't believe it.

He didn't want to, but as Frank had put it so simply; they couldn't let him get away.

And it was obvious that he would.

Frank was also right when he pointed out it wasn't their decision to make.

Whatever marks he had made on Colleen, the things Matt had only just started to consider, it was her decision, and no one else could make it for her.

“Here.” Frank said gently, handing her one of his guns. “It will be the kindest option.”

And Colleen didn't argue, there was anger and hatred, betrayal and so much fear that Matt could sense in her. Yet she pulled the trigger all the asme.

And as they walked away from the body, rain beginning to fall, she clung on to the gun, and Danny’s hands for dear life.

“That's it.” said Jessica Jones. “I'm going my own way, I'll see you lunatics later.” Luke looked at her pleadingly, but Jess just waved him off.

Matt didn't argue, neither did Frank, they could both recognize when someone needed to be left alone, even if they didn't exactly use the same methods.

But what had just happened had obviously struck at something close to Jess’s core.

“I think we should go straight to the police.” Danny said, still clinging to Colleen.

“I have to agree,” Luke agreed, turning to the two others.

For the first time Matt felt unsure, he didn't mention it, but he could tell Frank was uncomfortable too.

“I'll see you two theri then.” Matt said, carefully considering his options, “there's some people I should probably go get first though.” and like he had read his mind Frank agreed to take him.

And Matt surprised himself by agreeing.

“Should we talk about what just happened?” Matt asked finally, it was the first time that they had been alone together since Frank had arrived. Probably the first time since Frank had saved his life, and he had saved Frank’s in return.

Frank said nothing.

But there was something in his mind, Matt could tell, it was in the way he clenched the wheel, the way he forced himself to look forwards. That steely position. The still but tightly coiled energy of a soldier.

“You understand why i did it? Don't you?” Frank said finally two blocks later.

It was Matt’s turn to say nothing.

“I guess.” Matt said finally, that confidence he could fake so easily in the courtroom vanishing, all of his ability to put on a costume and hide himels away, stripped bare by this man. “But i swore never to kill Frank, but you do it and let it happen so easily.”

“You hate me don't you?”

“I don't think I could hate you Frank. I have to believe that you did it for the right reasons. Even if i can't agree.” he paused for a second, “i don't think i could ever hate you.”

Frank said nothing, still just string out at the dark like each flashing light they passed contained all the answers.

“Why did you do it though?” Matt said carefully, trying to pictou each word scrumptiously like he was making a statement before a judge. “Why didn't you just take that shot first? We both know you could have. You have to be one of the best shots I've seen, but you don't, you let Collen do it. Why?”

Frank gave a little grunt; “i had to, whatever he did to her, it went deep, like cult shit deep-”

“You could tell, even before you had taken the shot?”

“Of course. After a while you can tell, if you are surrounded by trauma, eventually you see it everywhere. All that anger she has, all that need for independence, you see that when people have been through hell.” he sighed, “she needed to take back control, she needed to take herself back from her abuser, you see why we couldn't have just left him alive. That man would never do anything good. Colleen’s a strong woman, and we might need her on our side, every minute with him being a live, would just have hurt her more, that trauma would consume her.” he paused, staring out at the rain as the traffic lights went orange, “some branches of the military is like a cult, the things you do and things you see-” there was a great pain to his voice, and Mtt knew he must have been remembering something incredibly painful as his normally so level heartbeat sped up, “we have more incommon than you think, but Colleen got a chance at justice. I don't know if- if i ever will.” he finished solemnly, “you should know,that old man seems pretty insistent on getting you to join him, and what i've heard he and these ‘hand’ people are the other side of the same coin-”

“Stick? Are you kidding he pretty much raised me after what happened.” Matt said, 

“Still, you don't have to listen to him Red, he has nothing on you.” Matt could feel Frank’s eyes on him, and it made him shiver, “he doesn't have to control you, you are not the same, remember that.”

With that last word everything just seems to sink in, and it finally hit him how much of it he actually meant, as much as Matt wanted to present he had nothing to do with it, when Electra had come to kill Stick, Matt had been by his side. 

Always.

After everything.

Matty was still just a child.

He didn't want to be part of this stuspid, crazy, holy war, and yet here he was in the middle of it. He wanted to scream. 

After everything Stick was still so important to him.

“Lets just not talk about this.” Matt said breaking the silence that had fallen.

“Are you sure?” Frank said voice low and calm, but he didn't say another word until they were outside Karen’s building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I'm doing writing these more emotional scenes, they aren't exactly my forte, but randomly stretching scenes out for too long may be, not sure how long this is going to end up being any more, or how long its going to take to finish this.   
> Sorry guys.


	7. Chapter 7

The building was mostly empty. No one else was on Karen's floor however, and they saw no one as they entered, which was thankful, the less people who saw the convicted mass murderer who was being accompanied by his lawyer, the better.  
Matt paused outside the office, just standing there in the dark, listening, still thinking of what Frank had said. There was a flicking of a switch and the room was bathed in the buzzing of neon lights, Matt could feel the heat on his skin, and hear the rustling of hair and paper as Karen looked up.  
"Sorry, I couldn't see anything." Frank said from the direction of where Matt guessed the light switches were.  
At that Karen stood up from her seat with haste, "hey Matt- is he here?"  
"Er, yep." Matt said, trying not to be offended that she seemed to be more interested in Frank, though he couldn't really blame her, every time they had run into each other it seemed that someone was getting shot.  
"Why are you here?" she asked uncertainly, "it's after midnight."  
Matt turned his head unconsciously towards Frank for a second, then shook it off, "we wouldn't be here unless it wasn't important."  
Karen paused, as if she was taking it in, Matt could hear Frank in the background, raising his hand awkwardly in greeting. Karen inhaled hard, and let out a little delirious dry chuckle,   
"I'm definitely going to need more than that. It's been a while hasn't it Frank?" she said, turning away from Matt, ignoring him completely.  
"It's some crazy cult gang shit-"  
"It's the Hand." Matt said, cutting in over Frank. "They came for you before Karen, and it's happening again-"  
"And we won't let you get put in danger again." Frank said, pushing forwards, Matt hadn't really noticed it before, but Frank seemed more agitated now, it seemed like Karen, or the idea of putting Karen in danger worried him, Matt was surprised.  
After all Frank had put Karen into danger himself before.  
"It's the least I can do to help," Frank said, his voice lowing to almost a whisper,  
"He's right," Matt said with a sigh, he didn't want to bring it up or put Karen in this situation, but he didn't have a choice, "we can't let that happen."

Karen gave a long deep sigh, the kind that she did when something had gone wrong. Slowly she lifted her self up from her desk, Frank took a tiny step backwards, but it was just Karen, Matt thought-  
"I can't believe this." she said. Looking straight through Matt's tinted lenses, he could tell by how still and tight her voice had got, and the way he could hear her hair swinging against her face, the way he had missed hearing it for so long.  
He had missed her.  
Of course he had, but things had come between them. She was family-  
And Matt realised too late- she was furious.  
"I can't believe you. Either of you." she scoffed. "This is how you tell me that you are doing it again? That you are back putting yourself in this kind of danger? Matt this isn't healthy, and I will not just stand by again if you are going out as him again-"  
"You told her Red?" Frank whispered incredulously,  
"-And you! I thought you were leaving. I thought you were down with this crazy crusade Frank. I thought this was over, for all of us?"  
Frank was a little taken back by this, that was obvious.  
Matt was glad it was Frank under fire, and not him for five seconds until Karen turned back to him.  
"All that time you told me you didn't miss it-"  
"I know what I said," Matt said, his confidence quailing slightly, out of the four people who could knock him like this, how had he ended up in a room with two of them?

"We don't have to have this conversation, just talk to me. Please Matt." her voice grew shaky- sad and tired in a way Matt hasn't really heard before, "just... Just tell me, what's happening, how is he here? Please." she said, throwing her hands up in the air.

There was a long pause, like the break between songs, Matt could hear Frank looking from one of them to the other, still somewhat quiet and passive, in a way that really wasn't like him.   
He sighed to himself, the secret was out, more or less.  
"I'm doing it again."  
What was another person?  
She's not just another person though, is she?  
That little voice inside his head asked.  
But Matt just tried to push it away, just something else he was going to have to confess if he ever saw the inside of a confession box again.  
Karen was family, as close to family as Matt had ever really had, and he had hurt her, every time he had put his own issues over the three of them as a team, Foggy at least had expected it, Foggy had even known to a degree.  
But every time he had tried to relive his old days, every time Elektra forced herself back into his life, every time he hadn't fought back against that temptation like he was meant to.  
He had hurt Karen.  
Every Time.  
He could make whatever excuses he could, but as he sat in the back of Frank's stolen car it was all he could think about. Karen and Frank made what little small talk they could, both of them obviously much more close and friendly than Matt had realised, it just made him want to kick himself more.  
He had been so blind, even without his eyes, he still couldn't tell what had been going on around him. And here he was. Sitting alone in the dark, in the back of a car, whilst one of his closest friends chatted happily with a serial killer.

Frank seemed pretty happy to see Karen again, their conversation flowed easily, Karen had plenty of interesting stories she was working on, and Franks seemed more than happy to just discuss the minutiae of her life with her.  
Stick had been right, he never should have let himself get close.  
She had deserved better than him, they all had.

Karen was happy to walk herself into the police precinct as Frank hesitated to idle outside.  
"Do you want to talk?" Frank said after a few minutes of driving back to the theatre in silence.  
Matt ignored him and took off his glasses to rub the exhaustion in his eyes. It was a redundant gesture, but for some reason Matt had just never grown out of it.  
"You don't have to." Frank said slowly, "but I guess you told her then? How did she take it?"  
Matt said nothing,  
"You know, she knew there was something going on, from the beginning I swear. She was so worried, but she cared so much for you. So come on what happened.`` When Matt stayed silent Frank continued, "you know she's a pretty amazing woman, she's so strong, and she sees the best in everything. She wanted so hard to believe in me, but I guess I proved her wrong." he said sadly, "she wanted to believe I was so much more than what I was, a monster, and she wanted to believe in you too. You know she reminds me of my wife, so headstrong, so much better than me." Frank stopped and exhaled like it was coming back to him, it made Matt sit up a little straighter, made him feel just a little more guilty, something that was becoming quite familiar at this point, his guilt wrapped around him so heavily with each person he had failed, pulling him down lie I was going to drag his straight to hell.  
"You shouldn't let her go, Red, you need to be honest with her, you can't lose that. You have to hold on to every moment, it's not too late."  
"It's not too late for you either Frank." Matt said slowly, surprising himself by how easy the words came. "You talk like you are already dead, but even I can see how much you care. You can still live again Frank."  
Frank chuckled dryly, surprising Matt.  
"You can talk, we should have this conversation again," Frank said sadly, "when you can say that to yourself, that catholic guilt really isn't doing you any good Red."  
That made Matt pause.   
But he deserved that guilt, for everything he had done.  
For everyone who has got hurt.  
It was his weakness after all that had created this version of Elektra, it was his failure to protect the city that had let this happen.   
He needs to be stronger.   
He needed to lose his weaknesses.  
No one else needed to get hurt.  
Stick was right.  
"Are you done with all that self pity back there?" Frank asked, "because we're back."

Frank was about to sail casually through the door to the ruined stage before Matt stopped him, he could hear voices, Stick and Sowande were talking,  
Sowande let out that spine chilling deep chuckle and Stick stopped talking. Obviously he had heard them come in.  
Matt knocked, out of civility and was greeted at the door by the permanently grumpy face of Stick, Matt couldn't help but notice the bloodied blindfold from Sowande's eyes, in Stick's remaining hand.  
"We are getting everyone safe." Matt said, awkwardly, he didn't exactly know what to say and he didn't really expect Stick to be interested.  
"Good."  
"Hey- did he say anything yet?" Frank grunted, butting in.  
Stick scoffed, and he started to walk away, "what do you think." he said addressing Frank.  
He was trying to walk through some of the abandoned corridors of the theatre, and Matt followed him. As the courier narrowed Frank was forced into step behind them.  
"If she's as sweet as she smells, I get why you are so torn up about this one." Stick said, in his permanently sarcastic low drawl.  
"Don't you talk-'' Frank started, his voice barely above a growl. But Matt stopped him mid sentence, blocking him off from Stick with his body, but he was struck by the futility of the action, if Frank really went for Stick, Matt would likely have been able to do anything, they could both handle themselves.  
"Ha," Stick replied, "both of you, she must be something."   
Frank let out a little snarl, but snapped back up into place,  
"But he's right Stick, don't bring her into this." Matt said carefully, as if it had only just hit him how bad this combination would be. "Frank maybe it would be best if you went back to the car, if Stick here has nothing left to add I'll be back in a minute."  
"Are you sure," Frank asked, his voice still low and barely registering a snarl, but Matt was surprised how protective he sounded below that surface level. And then it was gone as Frank just turned and stalked away.

"All these years, this is what I've been protecting you from. Your two worlds colliding." Stick said with a dry little chuckle, "and yet here you are with your own little reinforcements, giving your orders."  
"Stop." Matt said, he could hear the doors banging distantly as Frank put his whole body into slamming things. "It's not like that, he owed a favour, I thought he could help." he sighed, like he could feel a headache coming on. "Anyway If you had your way this is what my life would be. Now you try to spin it like you're protecting me."  
"Maybe I got soft in my old age"  
"Doubt it."  
"Or maybe I know what I need on the front lines. Cause the iron fist can't lead them like you can, that boy couldn't lead you out of a paper bag. And you have my training, you would be the better candidate."  
"I don't want to lead anyone to stick, and since when have there been others?"  
"I thought you don't care?" Stick gave another dry little chuckle as if he could hear the blood rushing in Matt's ears the way he could. After all he probably could. "For a man who believes in god, you sure like denying, he has a plan for you-"  
"Don't use my faith against me." Matt said, his own voice coming out surprisingly low, his fists balling up on their own accord.  
"And what about this city? The place you can't live without. The palace that made you what you really are. - where are you going?"  
"Don't... You don't get to tell me who I am all right? Trust me I know.'' Matt turned back, trying to hold back the urge to yell or swear or scream, or do any of the things that the child inside of him begged to do. "I'm leaving. Frank just got a call, and I have better things to be doing."

As Matt stormed out he aimed a kick at a rock that his extra sense told him should be there. It wasn't as heavy as Matt had expected and he sent bits of gravel flying everywhere. It made him want to yell. This was the only way he could express his anger at constantly being used. At constantly having his own messages turned against him only to become dispensable.  
But he had to hold onto it.  
He had to keep it under control.  
Turn it inwards.  
Wrath was one of the worst sins.

"Are you done?" Frank asked, he rolled down the window even further, with that faint electronic whirring. "Jessica called, she thinks there's some suspicious guys hanging around her sisters place. She wants us to meet her there if you're ready?"  
Matt sighed, it was going to be one of those days. It was if he had lost track of time, because he could feel the weak morning sun on his face, he could hear the early morning chat show host starting his repeal. And the world just came crashing back down.  
The weight of a night without sleep was pulling him down.  
"You OK?" Frank asked as Matt pulled himself weary into the passenger seat. "Do we need to go pick anything up, or can you fight crime without the spandex?"  
Matt was exhausted but he could still laugh, slightly. "It's not spandex,"  
"Whatever, but I hope you aren't going out like that, it's like I'm being trialed all over again."  
"Why? Not my best look?"  
"Not my best memory." Frank said dryly. But then let out a small chuckle.  
In that second it seized at Matt's chest how soft it had sounded. How tired and world weary Frank was, but how he could be-  
No.  
Not now.  
Matt had things to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this made me realise how inconsistent the time is in Defenders, which is fun.  
> Also work and school are back on fully for me to updates may be a little sparse


End file.
